The Inquisitor wanders into the old, broken lands. The No Man's Land. The land where soil was once sinned against, the desolation that made this land extends further than the eye can see, pollution and machinery of Blasphemy. Divine punishment was right in following.
From the highs of the Havani mountain range, passing the many guards both natural, mortal, and unnatural that stand between here and the rest of Hidia, the Inquisitor comes, he can already see her, The Siren Stone. Marked in yellow, built by his people, he is sure the Head of Watchers must be working from there. It's far, it's dangerous, but he will get there.. hopefully.
The climate is fine and fair, the clouds are gray, leaning brown, stained black from sources unseen to the naked eye. It is fine and fair morning, for a world of sin.
The black-scaled dragonborn spends his first legs of journey with little mind to the environment. Brown trees, on a brown soil, with faintly brown skies, makes anyone sick, makes Colorists cry. Well, he better be happy, for the environment doesn't wait long before changing in appearance, as the dense forest gives opening to a great steppe. His knowledge as tracker and hunter tells him in most clear terms: this land is dead.
He takes care to not become lost in the vast expanse of ash and dust. This eats some time, but is not fully meaningless, as the dragonborn finds a bear trap by his path. It is well hidden, matching the soil's color well enough that, if he wasn't paying attention, he surely would have become prey.
As the night settles in, the dragonborn makes camp, lighting a fire with the dry, hollowed trees around the area, and trying to relax his mind and body for a moment. As he finishes his campfire and sets down his wooden "bed", a noise is heard from a distance, setting the inquisitor into a fighting stance with his sword. A man, a huge man. A demi-giant with a fishing pole by his back, wearing nobility clothing.
"A traveler! Welcome!"
"Indeed. I appreciate the welcome. Who would you be, great fisherman? I am Dazys." Now, much more relaxed, seeing it is but a man. "I am a Colorist."
"Oh a faithful, i assume you are moving towards the sacred monolith? The name is Balthazar Belvedere."
"Yes, what about you, fisherman, what you seek here?"
"Oh well, i have not much to do here. Just fishing for fun and giving a few grand catches to my folk. I saw a traveler and had to fulfill my curiosity."
"Your folk, you say? I assume you hold a community on these lands."
"Oh but do i, you can really barely call it that. Just a few workers working for something greater." The demi-giant likes to explain, good.
"I see, much work for a village in here."
"A retreat, for sages and monks, The Land holds a thing for making people wiser. Must be. It's only fair to have a place where they go to rest." A expected correction, and an explanation of purpose.
"Indeed it is. I think my time is coming, and i shall rest."
"Indeed! Mind if i rest over here?"
The dragonborn is slightly dumbfounded at the newcomer's request, the noble's ignorance of how deadly the traveler is. "Yeah, of course."
Morning comes and the sun is blocked by a hulking shadow amidst the camp. The demi-giant, tinkering away at his fishing equipment. God dammit. Well, rations are dwindling, and if they keep so, this expedition will fail before having any beginning. This man got a rod. Time to make him at very least useful.
"Good morning, mate, i see you have been taking guard. Good job."
"Oh but be not so, I've just been sitting. What you'll do now?" He is flattened, as nobles easily become.
"Well, I've been a tad short on resources and the road forwards is rather long. Mind teaching me the ropes? I am new to the region and i wonder what signs are there for good catch."
"Oh but of course! If my nose serves me, there should be one by the very path."
Following the man's guidance, the Inquisitor is led to a fair sized pond where fish and frog swim. Even in such lands, nature invades, grows, survives. The fisherman is careful, intentional at each catch. "Only the biggest" he repeats when the dragonborn comes to observe. Good, good." The fisherman kept repeating as he analyzed the fish, a very large one, Titano he calls it but the size is of little focus when compared to the great glowing mouth the creature has.. or had if Balthazar hadn't just completely bitten it off. Of course, this doesn't stop him from explain Dazys' every single small detail pertaining to the fish's composition and taste. Dazys is very, very, interested. Absolutely so.
A bountiful catch, cut in good slices and packaged properly, yes, the fish seem good to travel.
The Weather has a different opinion. As a light rain begins to fall, the soil becomes muddy and hard to traverse. This will be a bother.
"Best we find somewhere to stay, don't think?" The demi-giant walked forwards alongside the inquisitor, his noble clothing being drowned in the thick mud. "I mean getting a sickness here would be a really bad idea. Unless you got something to heal off of course. Or-"
The Dragonborn stops listening the man's voice. "Okay, let's find somewhere." He forgets to finish it with to throw you inside but maybe some things are to be not spoken.
Marked wood. "Settlement! Great!" The big man cheers, taking the lead of the exploration towards what looks like a old pilgrim camp. Abandoned, it looks and feels, the tents are all torn up and worn out, the camp contains nothing but broken items of unrecognizable function. This won't be a good shelter, but maybe something useful can be found.
"Interesting." The inquisitor surveys the area, grabbing a piece of parchment only protected by a fallen down tent. It is a Colorist verse, a piece of a tale. It is not fully legible, but the faithful's knowledge of the text allows him to make sense of what is missing.
And so, for every painting and statue, RAINBOW hid it below ground, so the ones above would devour, to raise above and bring Color more. And so, for every poem and , RAINBOW above the clouds, so the ones below would observe, to learn and bring Meaning more.
"So what is that?" The demi-giant observes from above the inquisitor's shoulder.
"A piece of tale. These people were Colorists. Pilgrims, cousins. The paper is not paper at all but lamb skin, this tradition has died over time with common priests, but pilgrims maintain it strong… may i ask you something?"
"of course!"
"Why are you following me? I am not planning on helping your construction and i am sure someone like you has better things to do than just.. follow a faithful around."
The fisherman sighs. "I guess there's no point in telling lies, there is no construction, i am not a noble. I am just a fisherman, and i thought-"
"No, you are not. You definitely are a fisherman, but there's more, a fisherman stays by the shores. Just tell me who are you, for Rainbow's sake."
Balthazar sits down by the mud and begins explaining. "I am a war veteran, a war hero some decided to call me but that helps nobody, a soldier i was and still am if i have to be. But, there was a war, my clan The Grand Hammers entered a conflict with The Flaming Smiths.. we won, and that destroyed us."
"How can winning destroy a clan?"
"Decay. We were weakened but threatening. Simple as that. Winning took a lot out of us and made us look too strong to be acceptable. We fell because of our own success."
"I see, but that still doesn't answer; why follow me?"
"Adventurers open paths, I've been observing you for a while. Back in the West mountains. You are strong, you are motivated, maybe you could be the key for a good future."
"…Fine. But you better not slack."
"Never intended to."
As the conversation ends, the rain clears up, allowing a soft sun to penetrate the dark cloud. "We better keep going. Grab those covers, i hate sleeping on the floor."
As night settles and the duo is gathering to camp, Dazys comes across a shocking sight. Blood. Blood, limbs and weaponry destroyed in the forest's insides. A deeply chaotic mess of massacred remains. He could run and hide, but not now. He is not so blood-shy. The body.. bodies? Body is dry, meaning whatever did this is by now far away. Against his better judgment, he handles the body parts there present.
A near perfect, though greatly cut apart, person. The part missing is the left arm, signs the creature is not a hungry one, but a sadistic one. A monster. Dazys doesn't know who this is, but the torn apart, white bloodstained cloak reveal they are a Pilgrim. Whatever did this probably was the same to hit the camp. Maybe the cadaver's pockets reveal something more relevant. Aha! A note, he studies it under lamp light.
My dear Ordalis, as you are aware, currently i am staying with my fellow men of faith. The search for Monavon is.. definitely proceeding. Unfortunately we have found a complication on our path through a very lively forest, a nest. Of branches, and metal, and size beyond that of a mere bird. What creature it belonged to i couldn't tell in certainty, but it is not of this world, not at all. In zeal, our man Fierre decided to boast his faith. No respect, that man, no respect for him.
regardless, i hope your new circumstance haven't been much too rough, i made sure to stock the house with everything a feast and cleaning demands but I'm sure your work will be as always: Spotless!
-Huxo
…Why are they always Colorists? That's what makes the Far Away Nations mock them. Poor messenger, may RAINBOW mark his path to the world of light. Dazys pockets the note and returns to camp. "Balthazar, we can't stay here." He shows the bloody note. "Murder on the area, it's better we sleep by the morning."
Balthazar takes a single look and simply nods, relatively startled by the casualty with which the dragonborn conjures death and grim.
During the nightly walk, the climate takes a sharp turn, opening completely as to invade a sun so strong to scorch the skin. "You think we are close?" The dragonborn inquires, blowing the lantern as to avoid waste.
"Yes," The heat is proving it strong, stronger even than the black scales of Dazys. "I think we should rest too, this place looks safer, and if we keep going without test.. we would be better dead" It doesn't take long for exhaustion to take over the two, who simply takes a bite out of his fish, single and last, completely devoured.
Now at noon, both of them fed enough to survive and keep going, the sun holds the duo's body to trial.
"We are out of rations." The demi-giant points out as the group moves back towards the path.
"I know, if we press on fast enough, we'll probably be able to gather more at the Monolith's area."
The two continue the path. It is not bountiful, no, but maybe that's for the best. Nature offers something better. A clear path. An ample field of view. A direct route to the Monolith.
"We'll resupply, I'll solve some affairs, then we'll come back. I can't just let a monster walk around." The dragonborn swears.
"You sure? by what you described, it seems they were playing with something they shouldn't. Don't you think you will fall the same way?"
"I gotta at least try to do something, no matter who to blame, they were brothers and now they are dead. I'll do it and if i fail.. well, i had to try."
"I can respect that." The demi-giant shows his respect.
Finally, they reach where they must be. The gray stone monolith stands dominant above all the campers, Pilgrims and Settlement Priests alike gather around great structure to gaze at its beautifully placed trio of yellow golden disks, while scholars of the faith circle the structure to read its engravings in languages from before the first dragons, from before the Summit of Rainbows had a name, they translate roughly in blank pages and debate interpretation, especially tone. ("This is a red text!" "Fool, red is war, this just a brawl, a pink text")
By the far sides of the towering obelisk stand the guards. Paladins and mercenaries, they don't turn to the sacred stone, the Monolith speaks to them, to all of us, as wind passes through its central hole, adorned with a golden ring, the stone's howl pushes predators away.
Telling Balthazar to wait while he is away. The dragonborn ignores all of them, approaching a simple man who wears torn clothing, and a scar. A scar with meaning only his order knows. The Black Eye charred into their flesh. The Inquisitor guide sits in front of hin, with the mark deeply scarred to his forehead. Dazys shows his scarred soles; he is a traveler. Without exchanging words the guide leads the inquisitor to a far tent, away from all the priests and scholars.
Opening the great black tent, five adventurers, or at least what people would assume them to be. They don't dress white or black, they don't even wear a common armor. Dazys is clad in leather, as are 2 others, one of them is unarmored and reading scrolls of psalms, at the center of the room is a man in plated armor. The common trait is all of them carry a sword, the same sword, black wooden handle with a long iron blade that twists at the top, enveloped in a black sheath with no marks whatsoever.
With his own sword in front of him, Dazys sits in front of the man in plated armor. "Truth seeker." Dazys says in respect to the man. "Truth seeker." The man says back to him. "My name is Dazys of Gorora, traveler and second order Truth Seeker. I've first came with a willingly presentation of respect, but the journey gave me news of woe and hunt. A camp of dead Pilgrims, woeful, by the claws of a supernatural threat, which i now intend to hunt."
"And are you alone?"
"No, sir, I've become acquainted with a great warrior of a gone clan, man of tragedy."
"and blood. Tragedy makes only sad people, it's the blood that gives them strength. You may partake on this orderly inquire. Discover the creature's identity and capacities, inquire, and bring it to death, orderly, to the cycle of life."
The dragonborn nods in approval and returns to the camp, waking by the large open area at night. Only 3 days here and a body already appeared in front of him. Makes sense nobody visits.. besides the foolishly brave, of course. At least Balthazar is waiting for him, on a comfortable tent he paid. He is trying, not so gracefully, to take their tent a tad further away from their loudly debating neighbors. ("What did i just told you?! Read Da Principia Photon, because you surely don't know anything about colors." "I did read Da Principia Photon, i wrote Da Principia Photon!")
In a normal day, Dazys would stop and listen. Try learning anything. He got no time for this kind of unproductivity today. "Here, lemme help you. These are pretty fragile," showing some coins to his friend, "mind buying some drinks? Only wine. I need my tomorrow free of headaches."
"I don't think that's how it works."
"Lizard things."
"fair enough."
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